Appointed/accreditation | Incumbent | Monarch | Envoy to | Left office |
1505 | John Stile[2] | Henry VIII of England | Ferdinand II of Aragon | 16 June 1518 |
3 June 1512 | William Knight[3] | Henry VIII of England | Ferdinand II of Aragon | 1 September 1513 |
15 July 1517 | Sir Thomas Spinelly[4] | Henry VIII of England | Charles I of Spain | 1522 |
28 February 1518 | John Kite[5] John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners[6] | Henry VIII of England | Charles I of Spain | 1 March 1519 |
1533 | Richard Pate | Henry VIII of England | Charles I of Spain | 1537 |
1537 | Sir Thomas Wyatt[7] | Henry VIII of England | Charles I of Spain | 1539 |
12 March 1554 | John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex | Mary I of England | Philip II of Spain | 20 July 1554 |
12 January 1560 | Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | 24 June 1560 |
24 June 1560 | Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu Sir Thomas Chamberlain[8] | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | 24 June 1562 |
30 September 1561 | Thomas Chaloner | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | 15 May 1565 |
5 March 1565 | William Phayre | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | 4 April 1566 |
12 January 1566 | John Man[9] | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | 5 October 1568 |
18 November 1576 | Sir John Smith[10][11] | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | 28 July 1577 |
December 1577 | Thomas Wilkes[12] | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | February 1578 |
May 1579 | Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | |
January 1583 | William Wade | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | August 1584 |
1584 | Thomas Wilson | Elizabeth I of England | Philip II of Spain | |
2 March 1605 | Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham | James VI and I | Philip III of Spain | 4 July 1577 |
1605 | Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington | James VI and I | Philip III of Spain | |
1605 | Charles Cornwallis[13] | James VI and I | Philip III of Spain | 1609 |
1608 | John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol | James VI and I | Philip III of Spain | |
1609 | Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington[14] | James VI and I | Philip III of Spain | 1611 |
1609 | Peter Wyche | James VI and I | Philip IV of Spain | 1611 |
1616 | William Cecil, 17th Baron de Ros | James VI and I | Philip III of Spain | |
1617 | John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol[15] | James VI and I | Philip IV of Spain | 1618 |
1617 | John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol | James VI and I | Philip III of Spain | |
1618 | Walter Aston, 1st Lord Aston of Forfar | James VI and I | Philip III of Spain | |
1622 | Mr. Hole | James VI and I | Philip IV of Spain | |
1622 | Simon Digby (fl. 1620–1640s) | James VI and I | Philip IV of Spain | 1640 |
1622 | John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol | James VI and I | Philip IV of Spain | |
1623 | Endymion Porter | James VI and I | Philip IV of Spain | |
1624 | Stephen Gardiner | James VI and I | Philip IV of Spain | |
1 March 1625 | Peter Wyche | Charles I of England | Philip IV of Spain | 30 April 1626 |
11 August 1628 | Endymion Porter | Charles I of England | Philip IV of Spain | 5 January 1629 |
1 July 1629 | Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington | Charles I of England | Philip IV of Spain | 20 April 1631 |
18 December 1630 | Arthur Hopton | Charles I of England | Philip IV of Spain | 23 April 1636 |
13 July 1634 | John Taylor | Charles I of England | Philip IV of Spain | 24 May 1635 |
26 December 1634 | Walter Aston, 1st Lord Aston of Forfar | Charles I of England | Philip IV of Spain | 31 July 1638 |
April 1638 | Sir Richard Fanshawe, 1st Baronet | Charles I of England | Philip IV of Spain | 10 June 1638 |
21 March 1638 | Arthur Hopton | Charles I of England | Philip IV of Spain | December 1645 |
25 January 1650 | Anthony Ascham | English Council of State | Philip IV of Spain | 27 May 1650 |
27 May 1650 | George Fisher | English Council of State | Philip IV of Spain | 26 September 1651 |
1654 | Anglo-Spanish War (1654-1660) | English Council of State | Philip IV of Spain | 1660 |
20 February 1666 | Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | 11 October 1668 |
26 February 1666 | Robert Southwell | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | 22 June 1666 |
10 July 1668 | Sir John Werden, 1st Baronet | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | 10 June 1668 |
10 July 1668 | William Godolphin | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | 10 June 1668 |
21 November 1671 | Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | 20 May 1672 |
29 June 1677 | Ignatius White | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | October 1677 |
12 June 1679 | Sir Henry Goodricke, 2nd Baronet[16] | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | 27 March 1683 |
10 December 1682 | Peter Lefett | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | 16 November 1685 |
13 May 1685 | Charles Granville, 2nd Earl of Bath | Charles II of England | Charles II of Spain | December 1688 |
13 May 1685 | John Stafford | James II of England | Charles II of Spain | December 1688 |
May 1689 | Viscount Dursley | Mary II of England | Charles II of Spain | August 1689 |
1689 | Alexander Stanhope[17] | Mary II of England | Charles II of Spain | 1699 |
1699 | Francis Schonenberg[18] | William III of England | Charles II of Spain | 1702 |
1702 | War of the Spanish Succession | William III of England | Philip V of Spain | 1702 |
1705 | Mitford Crowe[19] | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1706 |
1705 | Paul Methuen | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1706 |
1706 | Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough, James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope (joint envoys)[20][21] | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | Charles III of Hungary | {1707 {1710 |
1711 | John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll[22] | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | Charles III of Hungary | 1712 |
1712 | Robert Sutton, 2nd Baron Lexinton[23] | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1713 |
1713 | Robert Benson, 1st Baron Bingley[24] | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1714 |
1714 | Paul Methuen | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1715 |
1715 | George Dodington, 1st Baron Melcombe | George I of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1717 |
1717 | John Chetwynd, 2nd Viscount Chetwynd | George I of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1718 |
1718 | War of the Quadruple Alliance | George I of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1720 |
1720 | Luke Schaub | George I of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1720 |
1720 | William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington | George I of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1727 |
1727 | Anglo-Spanish War (1727–29) | George I of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | |
1729 | Benjamin Keene | George II of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1739 |
1739 | War of Jenkins' Ear | George II of Great Britain | Philip V of Spain | 1748 |
1748 | Sir Benjamin Keene | George II of Great Britain | Ferdinand VI of Spain | 1757 |
1758 | George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol | George II of Great Britain | Ferdinand VI of Spain | 1761 |
1761 | Anglo-Spanish War (1761) | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | 1763 |
19 February 1763 | John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | |
1763 | William Nassau de Zuylestein, 4th Earl of Rochford[25] | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | 1766 |
1766 | Sir James Gray, 2nd Baronet[17][26] | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | 1769 |
1770 | George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers[27] | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | 1771 |
1771 | James Harris[28] | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | |
1771 | Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | 1779 |
1779 | Anglo-Spanish War (1779-1783) | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | 1783 |
1783 | John Crichton-Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | |
1783 | Robert Liston | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | 1788 |
1784 | Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl of Chesterfield | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles III of Spain | 1785 |
1788 | William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland[17][29] | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles IV of Spain | 1790 |
1790 | Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles IV of Spain | 1794 |
1794 | Francis James Jackson | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles IV of Spain | 1795 |
1795 | John Crichton-Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles IV of Spain | 1796 |
1796 | | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles IV of Spain | 1802 |
1802 | John Hookham Frere | George III of the United Kingdom | Charles IV of Spain | 1804 |
1808 | Charles Stuart | George III of the United Kingdom | Ferdinand VII of Spain | 1808 |
1808 | John Hookham Frere | George III of the United Kingdom | Ferdinand VII of Spain | 1808 |
1809 | Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley | George III of the United Kingdom | Ferdinand VII of Spain | 1809 |
1810 | Henry Wellesley | George III of the United Kingdom | Ferdinand VII of Spain | 1821 |
1822 | William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury | George IV of the United Kingdom | Ferdinand VII of Spain | |
1825 | Frederick Lamb, 3rd Viscount Melbourne | George IV of the United Kingdom | Ferdinand VII of Spain | |
5 December 1827 | George Bosanquet | George IV of the United Kingdom | Ferdinand VII of Spain | 1830 |
1830 | Henry Unwin Addington | George IV of the United Kingdom | Ferdinand VII of Spain | 1833 |
1833 | George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon | William IV of the United Kingdom | Isabella II of Spain | 1839 |
1839 | George Jerningham | Queen Victoria | Isabella II of Spain | |
1840 | Sir Arthur Ingram Aston | Queen Victoria | Isabella II of Spain | 1843 |
1843 | George Jerningham | Queen Victoria | Isabella II of Spain | |
1844 | Henry Bulwer, 1st Baron Dalling and Bulwer | Queen Victoria | Isabella II of Spain | 19 May 1848 |
19 May 1848 | Revolutions of 1848 | Queen Victoria | Isabella II of Spain | 1850 |
1850 | John Hobart Caradoc, 2nd Baron Howden | Queen Victoria | Isabella II of Spain | |
1858 | Sir Andrew Buchanan, 1st Baronet | Queen Victoria | Isabella II of Spain | |
1860 | John Fiennes Twisleton Crampton | Queen Victoria | Isabella II of Spain | |
1869 | Austen Henry Layard | Queen Victoria | Francisco Serrano, 1st Duke of la Torre | |
1878 | Sir Lionel Sackville-West | Queen Victoria | Alfonso XII of Spain | |
1881 | Robert Morier | Queen Victoria | Alfonso XII of Spain | |
1884 | Francis Clare Ford | Queen Victoria | Alfonso XII of Spain | 1887 |
1887 | Francis Clare Ford | Queen Victoria | Alfonso XIII of Spain | 1892 |
1892 | Henry Drummond Wolff | Queen Victoria | Alfonso XIII of Spain | 1900 |
1900 | Henry Mortimer Durand | Queen Victoria | Alfonso XIII of Spain | 1903 |
1903 | Edwin Henry Egerton | Edward VII | Alfonso XIII of Spain | 1904 |
1904 | Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock | Edward VII | Alfonso XIII of Spain | 1905 |
February 1906 | Maurice William Ernest de Bunsen | Edward VII | Alfonso XIII of Spain | 1913 |
1913 | Arthur Henry Hardinge | George V | Alfonso XIII of Spain | |
1919 | Esme Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Penrith | George V | Alfonso XIII of Spain | 1919 |
1924 | Sir Horace Rumbold, 9th Baronet | George V | Alfonso XIII of Spain | |
1928 | George Dixon Grahame | George V | Alfonso XIII of Spain | |
1935 | Henry Chilton | George V | Niceto Alcalá-Zamora | |
27 February 1939 | Maurice Peterson | George V | Francisco Franco | 1940 |
1940 | Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood | George VI | Francisco Franco | |
1945 | Sir Victor Mallet | George VI | Francisco Franco | |
1946 | Sir Douglas Howard | George VI | Francisco Franco | 1949 |
10 November 1949 | Robert Hankey, 2nd Baron Hankey | George VI | Francisco Franco | 1950 |
1951 | Sir John Balfour | George VI | Francisco Franco | 1954 |
1954 | Sir William Ivo Mallet | Elizabeth II | Francisco Franco | 1960 |
1960 | Sir George Labouchère | Elizabeth II | Francisco Franco | |
1966 | Sir Alan Meredith Williams | Elizabeth II | Francisco Franco | |
1969 | Sir John Russell | Elizabeth II | Francisco Franco | |
1974 | Sir Charles Wiggin | Elizabeth II | Francisco Franco | 1977 |
1977 | Sir Antony Acland | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | |
1980 | Sir Richard Parsons | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | |
1984 | Lord Nicholas Gordon-Lennox | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | 1989 |
1989 | Sir Robin Fearn | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | |
1994 | David Brighty | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | |
1998 | Sir Peter Torry | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | 1998 |
2003 | Sir Stephen Wright | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | |
2007 | Dame Denise Holt | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | 2009 |
2009 | Giles Paxman | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain | 2013 |
2013 | Simon Manley[30] | Elizabeth II | Juan Carlos I of Spain King Felipe VI of Spain | 2019 |
2019 | Hugh Elliott[31] | Elizabeth II Charles III | King Felipe VI of Spain | 2024 |
2024 | Sir Alex Ellis[32] | Charles III | King Felipe VI of Spain | |